Chain fastener



June 2, 1925. 1,540,713

. M. A. RAMALY CHAIN FASTENER Filed Jan.. 24, 1925 lu rp [1i: y f- 1 .n 1111.1..

if 1%74 l Milton Alianza@ v INVENT Patented June `Z, 1925.

, )UNITED STATES CHAIN FASTER@ Application Vfiled J' anuary TofaZZl whom t may concern.' e l 1 Beit known that I, MILTON A. RAMALY, a citizen o-f the 'United States, residing at Bowmanstown, in the county'of Carbon and Stateof Pennsylvania, have -invented a new and useful Improvement' in Chain Fasteners, ofwhichthefollowing is a specification. l

This invention relates to chain fasteners. The object is to provide a device for fastening the sides of automobile tirechai'ns so as'to prevent their becoming accidentally unlocked and ldetached while in use, said fastener Vbeing designed to be permanently secured to one end of the side chain and having means for connectionwith the other end link, or one ofthe adjacent links, said connection being easily and quicklyinade by the merepressure of theilocking member.

Another object is to providedal device of this character which is strong 4and durable and cheaply constructed without anyfdelicate or complicated parts, the same being arranged and assembled in a manner'to avoid the possibility of becoming clogged withv or affected byv snow,ice vor dirt, and being readily operated by the thumb nail to unlock the fastener, when it is desired to adjustfor` removethe anti-skid chains.v y y A full and complete understanding ofthe invention maybek obtained froma considerav tion ofthe following` detailed description taken in connection` with the accompanying drawing'forming apartl of this specification,

` itbeing understood that while the drawing shows al practical form ofthe invention, the latter is not-to be confined to strict conformity with" the showing l thereof, but` may be changed for modified, so long as'f'sueh H changes or modifications ymark no material 40 departure from the'` salient features, of the invention, as specifically pointed out in the appended claims. K i n In the drawing,l in'which similar'ijeference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figuresz'- y Figure 1 isa perspective view of theimproved chain fastenerslliown in open position withthe free end of th'esi'de chainy about to be connected therewith. Figure 2 is a top plan viewthereof. Figure 3 is a top plan view ofthe device in closed position.

rFigure 4 isa vertical, longitudinal .sectional view ofthefdevice inclosed position.

24,: ieasztseriai No. 4,513,"

i Figure is a vertical section takenonthe linea-5 of F igured. K u Referring to thedrawing there is shown y i MILroNAILBERr aAiviiiLv, or BowiviANsTowN, rnivnsynvaivm. i i

a metallic easing or body ymember 'lformedf` of suitablyheavy sheet steel capable of* bemg stamped'and bent into shape to provide spaced, parallel side walls-2, extendingfthe` full length of the'body., and j oinedtogether along their loweredgesby the integral'wall i Y:

or web 3, :.thuseompletely closing the space vbetween lthe sidewalls along` this edge;

yAt one end the side walls fare rounded lto provide substantially l' circular eyes 4,

suitablyapertured for the receptionof a bolt or riv'et, adapted ito receivethe spaced end eyes of a chain link 6, 'said chainrbein'g formedin any desired manner, `and comprising partofa tire chain oranyother chain which it'may'be desiredto connect up.

At theiropposite ends, the side plates are further formed L intov upstanding, rounded eyes'7 formed integrally therewith, and'like` wise suitably Iapertured for the lreception of another rivet 8, which constitutes `a pivotfor an elongated locking tongue 9," formedof Y e0Vv similar f sheet4 met alv and V`substantially jequ al in length to thebody memberQinto which they, same isV adaptedto beswung about `the aforesaidpivot piinSL 'The side walls arel `further provided with seatsjor depressions'l()l adj acentto the last-j named eyes 7 andfat their.V intermediatel tions 11 terminating in verticallyj disposed shoulders 1Q., vthe `edges, whereconnecting the said shoulders 1 toy the eyes 4, being .portions the sidewalls areprovided .along a-4 their; free, upper i edges "with inclined 'por-l Y rounded on ,thef jare"fof "a circle to' 'consti'`4 tute seats I13y for-a 4purpose `to be explained;

yBelow the said fseats'113, the side wallsl of the body-member are provided with alined apertures into 'which is rigidly fixed a transverse "pin'j14,`the`ends of which 'proj eetsome` what beyon'dthe fou-terfaces 4ofsaid walls, thesa'id pinfbein'g substantiallyona horifzent-al f gplane'` with v the aforesaid rivet or bolt 5, i

' On eachvprojectingend of the pin lthere Vis mounted, exterior to 1 the sidef wallsfa spring eoilf15 "formed of stiff spring steel wire,` said coils being formed intermediate.

ofthe endsy `of asingle length of such wire,

andY joined together by a centralloop 16, the side arms Vof whichy are` located: against.

l; they side plates, the ends being again bent at right angles to form stops for preventing vthe accidental removal of the spring members. y

The locking tongue 9v is provided in its inner edge, when closed as shown in Figure 4- of the drawing, with an -indentation 21 located adjacent to the pivot 8 and into which one of the links 22 at the other end of thel side chain is adapted to be seated, as shown in Figure 1, and then, by swinging the tongue 9 about its pivot, to be brought around and seated in the aforesaid seats l0 of the side walls. When strain is then put upon the chain, the pull is exerted against the forward side edges of the ears 7, and at the same time the end of the link bearing against the straightl side ofthe indentation 21, serves to hold vthe tongue closed, but this is not wholly relied upon tohold the tongue, as other locking means, about to be described,.is used to positively hold the tongue ink closed position, even though thereis no strain on the chain. l v Y v y rlhe inner edge of the locking tongue is cut away to provide an abutment 23 at the eXtreme free end of the same opposite the pivoted end, thus allowing space to clear the rivet 5, and at the same time contactingwith the bottom wall or web 3 of, the body member, to properly alinethe tongue when fully closed. The under edge of the abutment thus formed is inclined, as at 21, toaccord with the aforesaid arcuate seats 13 of the side plates and to allow the loop 16 of the spring .member tojbe moved forwardly in an obvious manner. p f

vAt the upper end of the inclined edge 24, there is provided a rearwardly directedseat 25Khaving ahorizontal shoulder 26, which is adapted to snap under. the loop of the spring when the tongue is closed and to positively hold the latter in suchposition. The lower edge 27 of the shoulder is rounded to act as a cam, to automatically force the loop back through the space provided by the seats 13 and the inclined edge-24, said loop then springing, by reason of the spring coils 15, Vinto the seat above the shoulder, as clearly shown in Figuret of the drawing, and positively holding the tongue from movement.

The lower or innerfedgeof the locking tongue is further provided with a cut-out portion 28 so as not to contact with the aforesaid ends 2O yof the terminalportions of the springs. f

The link 22, which may be the end link or one adjacent thereto, is applied to the tongue, as shown in Figure 1, after said tongue is swung outwardly into longitudinal alinement with the body member. By closing the tongue, the said link is drawn forward to occupy the opposite seats 10 in the side walls ofthe body member, thus taking up considerable slack in the side chains of the anti-skid device. As has been stated, the strain ofthe chain is now imparted to the end eyes 7 of the body member, and as the tongue is further,closed, the rounded or beve-led edge 27 contacts with the cross bar of the spring loop 16 which forces the latter forward towards the rivet 5 and along the seats 13 until the said cross bar yreaches the seat 25 in the tongue, when the same immediately springsy behind the shoulder 26 and the tongue is locked. Vhen releasing the same it is only necessary to use the thumb nail, or somek small instrument, to force the loop of the spring out of engagement with the shoulder of the tongue as will be readily understood.

Y From the foregoingk it will be Seen that a 95 strongy and durable fastener has been provided for connecting the ends of tire chains,

or other chains, and that the locking member may be easily forced into position to secure the device in place, and manipulated to 100 releasethe same, without the necessity for any complicated operation or the use of any tools. f v. v

'What is claimed is:

1. A tire chain fastener comprising a 105 body member having spacedside walls connected at one end to a chain, a tongue pivoted at the other end to close down between A the plates, said tongue having a seat provid-` ed with a shoulder in its inner edge when closed, a transverse pin traversing the walls beneath saidk seat and shoulder, a spring having spaced coils adapted yto vbemounted on the extended ends ofthe pin and joined by a loop, straddling the edges, of the plates and engaging the shoulder on the tongue, the. free ends ofthe coils-being extended longitudinally along the outer facestofthe plates and anchored thereto.

2. A device of the class described, including a body having spaced connected side walls land a pivoted tongue adapted to be closed downbetween the side walls, said tongue having an inclined, open ended slot in its inner edge whenclosed, the lower edge of the slot constituting a shoulder having an inclined lower edge, opposite arcuate seats formed in the free upper edges of the spaced sidewalls andterminating in opposite shoulders, a coiled springmounted exteriorly of each of the side Walls and joined by a resilient loop traversing the Seats in the side Walls vand normally abutting the shoulders thereofsad loop being forced back away from the last-named shoulders hy the-inclined lower edge of the tonguel and caused to engage over the shoul- MiLToN ALBERT RAMALY. a 

